This moist keto orange cake is made with almond flour and whole oranges - skins and all. It is low carb, gluten-free, dairy-free and sweetened with stevia.
I am totally in love with this flourless almond and orange cake!
Traditional orange cakes are normally very high in carbs, because they contain a lot of sugars due to the high fructose content. There's the table sugar, the sugar in the orange juice and of course, the sugars from the starch in the wheat flour.
The cool thing about this cake is that contains ALL of the orange, flesh and skin. You simply cook your oranges in water for 1 hour until they are nice and soft. This also makes the skin taste less bitter. Then you puree the whole orange until you have a fragrant, tasty pulp. You are literally using all of the fibre an orange has to offer, which slows the absorption of the sugar in the fruit. And you get all the taste.
On top of that, this is an almond flour cake. So, instead of wheat, we're using almond flour.
With my recipe, you can enjoy a slice of keto orange cake that will keep you on plan at only 3.5g net carbs per slice.
I have made a keto banana bread that won't kick you out of ketosis - with REAL banana. The same goes for this "sugar free" orange cake!
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🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Fluffy, light texture
- Fragrant orange flavor
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Low carb and keto-friendly
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need:
- Almond flour - I used ground almonds, which is equivalent to regular almond flour. For super-fine almond flour, reduce by 25 grams or ¼ cup.
- Oranges - unwaxed, washed. Juicing oranges are ideal. See more details below.
- Eggs - should be room temperature.
- Baking powder
- Orange extract
- Vanilla bean powder or vanilla extract
- Cardamom
- Vanilla stevia - or your sugar substitute of choice. I have used only 16 drops of liquid vanilla stevia in this recipe. This amount is equivalent to 4 teaspoons of sugar. If you don't have stevia, you can use xylitol or erythritol instead. Increase the sweetness to your liking.
Which oranges to choose
Oranges differ greatly, depending on variety and time of year. Some are very sweet, some less so. Some have thick skins, some have thin ones. That's why you should always taste the batter and adjust the sweetness if needed.
My oranges were VERY sweet and had a surprisingly thin skin. A thick-skinned orange will result in a more bitter batter.
If your oranges DO have a thicker skin, you can cut off the top and bottom before blending.
Instructions
This section contains step-by-step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Step 1: Put the oranges into a pot filled with cold water and cover with a lid. Bring to the boil, then simmer for at least 1 hour. Make sure the oranges are always submerged. This removes the bitterness. Drain and let cool.
Step 2: Cut the oranges in half and remove any seeds, then puree in a food processor or with a stick blender.
Step 3: Separate the eggs. In a large mixing bowl, combine the orange pulp with all ingredients except the egg whites. I used a spatula to do this.
Step 4: Now, whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form.
Step 5: Fold the egg whites into the cake batter. This will make the cake lighter in texture.
Step 6: Pour the batter into your cake tin and sprinkle flaked almonds on top.
Step 7: Bake in the oven until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Top Tip
Separating the eggs and beating the egg whites to stiff peaks is essential for a light and fluffy cake texture. Don't miss this step.
Recipe FAQs
Oranges are relatively high in carbs and the internet will tell you that it is NOT a keto friendly fruit. One medium orange contains 12 grams of net carbs. However, it will always depend on the AMOUNT of orange (or any other fruit) you eat. I would definitely NOT eat an entire orange in one go. But eating â…™ of an orange including the skin, as you would with this cake, is perfectly low in carbs!
You should not drink orange juice on a keto diet. or on a low carb diet. It's all the sugar from the orange, without any of the fibre! Think about it - you need to juice at least 3 oranges for a full glass of orange juice. That's 36 grams of net carbs. On a keto diet you generally eat between 20 to 30 net carbs per day. So, orange juice is NOT keto!
Yes. You can use tangerines, lemons or even grapefruit. Note that you will have to adjust the amount of sweetener accordingly.
Serving Suggestion
I like to call this orange cake a "breakfast cake" because it is filling, nutritious and a great way to kickstart your day.
You can enjoy it as it is, or spread it with butter. It's great alongside an almond milk matcha latte, a cup of keto iced coffee or a refreshing glass of avocado milk.
But of course, nothing should stop you from having it as a dessert!
Storage
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Slice and freeze for up to 3 months. Layer parchment paper between the slices so they don't stick.
More Keto Orange Recipes
- Healthy Chocolate Orange Cake1 Hours
- Sugar Free Orange Marmalade Recipe (Keto)2 Hours 40 Minutes
- Healthy Cranberry Orange Scones23 Minutes
- Keto Orange Cheesecake1 Hours 30 Minutes
More Sugar Free Cake Recipes
Here are more easy sugar-free loaf cake recipes to try:
- Keto Marble Cake1 Hours 15 Minutes
- Keto Peanut Butter Bread1 Hours 10 Minutes
- Keto Cinnamon Bread1 Hours
- Keto Blueberry Bread1 Hours 10 Minutes
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Keto Orange Cake
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups almond flour 250g, or ground almonds. **see notes
- 2 oranges unwaxed, washed ***see notes
- 5 eggs medium, separated (or 4 large)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon orange extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder or vanilla extract
- seeds of 6 cardamom pods crushed
- 16 drops liquid stevia or to taste. Option to use 4 tsp-¼ cup granulated sweetener of choice
- handful flaked almonds to decorate
Instructions
- Put the oranges into a pot filled with cold water and cover with a lid. Bring to the boil, then simmer for at least 1 hour. Make sure the oranges are always submerged. This removes the bitterness.
- Drain the water and let the oranges cool down.
- Cut the oranges in half and remove any seeds, then puree in a food processor or with a stick blender.
- Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius/ 350 Fahrenheit electric or 160C / 320F fan. Line a 9x5 inch bread baking tin with parchment paper.
- Separate the eggs and whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. This will make the cake lighter in texture.
- Add all ingredients except the egg whites to the orange pulp and mix. Lastly, fold in the egg whites until well-combined. Test your batter for sweetness and adjust to taste.
- Pour the batter into your cake tin and sprinkle flaked almonds on top. Bake for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
Kelly Charbula
I have a few questions about this yummy looking recipe....1. I saw ground cardoman in the store how much of this would be equivalent?
2. How do I keep oranges submerged when they float? 3. Can regular vanilla be used?
Katrin
1.) I think about 1/2 tsp of ground cardamom sounds about right. To be on the safe side, start with 1/4 and taste, adding more if necessary.
2.) Just let them bob around in the water and don't worry about it 🙂
3.) Yes, absolutely! You can use vanilla extract or even scrape out a fresh vanilla bean.
Kelly Charbula
Thanks. I am new to orange cake and using cardoman so I am not really sure how it boils taste. I’ll use 1/4 tsp. How much vanilla extract would I use?
Katrin
I'd use 1 tsp of vanilla extract. 🙂
Kelly Charbula
Thank you for answering all my questions so promptly. I have one more and I searched all the comments first to see that it had not previously been asked. I AM STARTING THE RECIPE NOW BUT DO NOT HAVE LIQUID STEVIA! I have powdered stevia, erithatol and Truvia. If I substitute what do you suggest??
Katrin
Just use the erythritol, it's my personal favourite. Use 3 tsp, this will replace the amount in the recipe. Add more if feel it needs it - we all have a slightly different idea what's just right.
Walida
Can I use all purpose flour instead of almond flour? Because I can't get almond flour here.
Katrin
I don't know if you can substitute this 1:1 - it would be a bit of an experiment. My feeling is you would probably need less flour as it's finer than almond flour. But if you can get hold of almonds, you could grind them up yourself it you have a food processor. Almond meal/ground almonds work well in this recipe.
Katherine
This cake is very tempting, I came home with the orange essence and two oranges. Only to grab my almond flour, NONE LEFT! Will this recipe work with a coconut substitute?
Thanks for all your recipes!
Katrin
Oh I hate when that happens!!! When I substitute coconut flour for almond flour I start with around 1/3 of the amount stated for almond flour. Using 1 cup of coconut flour in this recipe should definitely be enough, maybe even only 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp, if you oranges are on the small side. Coconut flour is so much more absorbent than almond flour. Add it to your dough and wait a couple of minutes so it can absorb the liquid. Then see if it has a goof consistency. I hope this helps!
Katherine
The orange cake turned out lovely! Thanks for all your recipes. I am new to the sugar free diet and you are a recipe inspiration!
I do have a query, have you ever baked with walnut flour before?
Katrin
Perfect! That's so good to hear. I haven't baked with walnut flour, but I think it would behave the same as almond/hazelnut flour. It might be good to mix it with almond flour, for example. On its own it may have a strong taste. Are you making it by grinding walnuts in a food processor?
Clarissa Otto
This recipe looks yummy. Question... are the egg yolks part of the recipe or do I them aside for use elsewhere?
Katrin
I'm sorry this was not clear. You use the egg yolks when you mix all ingredients. The egg whites get whisked and then are added last. Happy baking! This is one of my fave recipes.
Eleanor
Absolute winner! We didn’t have any cardommom seeds so just added some mixed spice which was lovely. Served up with some fresh strawberries and cream, and a cup of rosehip and hibiscus tea it’s hard to beat! We made our first cake last week and are already on to our second bake. Thanks!
Katrin
What a shame it did not turn out well! It's always hard to say what it was when you weren't there. Maybe it had something to do with the size of the oranges (i.e. small = not enough wet ingredients)? Or with the baking time or temperature (too long-too hot)? If you feel the beaten egg whites don't work for you, you could always leave out that step. That would definitely make for a denser cake.
Jo Storry
I love this cake - I made it without the cardamom (I forgot) but still beautiful. I also improvised one chilly morning - crumbled a piece in a bowl, put a little hot water over it and a good slosh of cream. Mushed it up and it became a wonderful breakfast porridge. Perfect for that warm cereal moment.
Katrin
Ohhhh, what a wonderful idea!!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Ro
Love this recipe - I used clementines, and maple syrup because I didn't have stevia. I'm making it for the second time because my husband has declared it his new favourite cake!
Katrin
That's so good to hear! Clementines are a great substitute because their skin is nice and thin. That's the only reason I can imagine the cake could taste less brilliant - if you got oranges with super-thick skins, making it too bitter
Juliana
Hi there ! Recipe looks great - making it tonight and I have gone all out and bought almond flour. Does this change anything?
Thanks
Jules
Katrin
It really depends on what kind of almond flour it is - and how large or small your oranges are! If you have defatted almond flour, it is the super-fine kind. In this case, you could try using a bit less and see how the batter looks and tastes.
Shannon
I love the idea of using Clementines, they will be in the stores soon here. Since they are smaller, how many would I need for this recipe?
Katrin
Using clementines sounds delicious. My oranges were around 10 cm in diameter, so depending on how large your clementines are, I'd say either 2 or 3 clementines for 1 orange
Vonn
Really 10cm? That's a small orange. In American measurements it's not quite 4inches. Glad I read the comments, my oranges are twice that size!
Katrin Nürnberger
hi there, I'm glad you're pointing this out. I've added the orange measurements to the recipe notes so no-one is heading for disappointment. Really important to choose an orange with a thin skin as well, so your end result is not bitter.